Hawaiian guitar virtuoso Willie K takes the stage of the Edmonds Center for the Arts “On His Own” Saturday, Aug 30 for an evening of contemporary island music.

Raised on Maui, Willie Kahaiali`i (a.k.a. Willie K.) has been playing music and entertaining audiences since the age of 10. His father, Manu Kahaiali`i, one of Hawaii’s most respected musicians, recruited Willie and his brothers to perform in his band.

Since then, Willie K has recorded and performed as both a solo artist and member of several popular Hawaiian groups, as well as produced albums for other osland artists. “There is so much more music to be made here in Hawaii,” says the artist, “and I’m sure to make it happen if at all possible.”

Willie K. has played with and/or opened for such musical giants as B.B. King, Santana, Al DiMeola, Willie Nelson, Prince, Crosby, Stills and Nash, Elvin Bishop, Bonnie Rait, Jackson Browne, Mick Fleetwood, George Benson and Jimmy Buffett.

Over the last decade Willie K. had garnered national attention with appearances on VH-1’s “100 Greatest Love Songs”, Extra, performing the halftime shows on Monday Night Football’s Jets vs. Raiders game, and the 2004 NFL’s Pro Bowl. In 2004, Willie also received his first Grammy nomination for his collaboration with Amy Gilliom for their “Amy &Willie Live” CD.

In 2005, Willie began performing with Eric Gilliom, Amy’s Gilliom brother, and formed The Barefoot Natives. The group’s CDs, “Barefoot Natives” and “Slack key Circus”, received multiple Hoku nominations, winning one Hoku award in 2007 for “Best New Artist”. The duo continues to perform their music along side one of rock-n-roll’s historical icon, Mick Fleetwood, in his Island Rumours Band.

Willie K has collaborated in another venture, this time with Joe Cano and Avi Ronen in the acoustic Jazz trio “Lima Wela.”

The concert is a fundraiser for Halau Hula o Moani Mokihana, a local non-competitive Hula Halau dance school formed by Kumu Cyndi Aiona and Kumu Kalani Kahai’ali’i. The mission of Halau Hula o Moani Mokihana is to nurture the “individual spirit of aloha through hula and all things Hawaiian and to use our love of hula and the Hawaiian culture to educate others of our lifestyle and rich traditions.”

$100 VIP tickets are available exclusively at the Hawaii General Store in Seattle’s Wallingford neighborhood, allowing admittance to the hosted reception in the lobby of the Edmonds Center for the Arts from 5:30 p.m. to 6:15 p.m, pups, champagne, and a guest gift bag. Willie K will sign event exclusive posters for each VIP ticket holder during the reception.